


12/02/2019: Hope

by pop_incognito



Series: 365 Drabbles [43]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Cliches Abound Again, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Making Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 05:48:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18088601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pop_incognito/pseuds/pop_incognito
Summary: Rei and Nagisa finally reconcile after their misunderstanding.Sequel to '11/02/2019: Homecoming'





	12/02/2019: Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Eyyy I'm back with part two of this Reigisa fluff, hope you all enjoyed the ride!

It starts with more yellow roses. Every morning, Rei finds a new yellow rose taped to the door of the Butterfly House. He has to wonder where Nagisa is getting them from, because as far as Rei knows, the Butterfly House is the only shop in the district that stocks them in such large quantities, and Nagisa certainly isn’t ordering them from the shop Rei works in. Unless he is? Rei spends the first hour of his day frantically checking order slips for yellow roses and comes up with nothing.

“Yellow roses?” Makoto asks when Rei tries to casually bring it up in conversation during their shared break later that day, which doesn’t turn out the way he wants it to because Rei is about as casual as a brick in a suit, and Makoto immediately starts dissecting Rei’s question. “He grows them himself. There’s a bush of them on the balcony of his apartment.” Makoto purses his lips. “I thought you would know that, haven’t you been over there?”

Rei shakes his head. “Certainly not. We’ve barely made it to the ‘having lunch without it getting awkward’ phase, so no, I haven’t been over to his apartment.” He runs his hands through his hair. “He grows them himself?” he asks, and Rei desperately tries to stomp out the warm fluttering feelings that are rising up in his chest.

Makoto nods, a small knowing smile on his face. “He grows them himself,” he confirms, and it takes every ounce of his being not to laugh at the happy expression that blooms on Rei’s face before he forcibly quashes it back into a carefully neutral one. Makoto’s phone beeps, summoning back to his shift at the gym on the fourth floor. “I have to go back before Seijuro starts hitting on his clients again, but we can pick this up again later, if you want?”

Waving Makoto off with a dry, “Don’t pretend like Hoshikawa doesn’t like it when Seijuro hits on him,” Rei climbs to his feet and heads back to the shop, waving at Aii who is up on a ladder watering the hanging baskets. “Any messages while I was out?” Rei asks, and Aii nods, pointing to the note pad beside the desk bell. Rei picks the note up and squints at it. Aii’s handwriting leaves a lot to be desired sometimes. “What does this…” he trails off, finally deciphering the message. _I know it’s a sudden step, but go out to dinner with me tonight?_ Followed by a restaurant address, a time, and a freshly cut iris taped to the corner. “Did you put this here?” Rei turns to address Aii after he had carefully freed the flower.

“Nope,” Aii says cheerfully, climbing down the ladder to start attending to the orchids. “He brought it in himself.”

Rei runs the pad of his finger over the soft purple petals, trying to keep the sappy smile off his face. “Do you know what iris flowers represent?” he asks, more to himself than Aii, but Aii answers anyway, more than used to Rei’s ridiculous habit of talking to himself.

“Hope,” is Aii’s smart response, followed by a fond smirk and an eyeroll in Rei’s direction as he tucks the flower behind his ear and the note into his pocket.

The Butterfly House officially closes its doors to the public at six in the evening, and the staff stay behind for another two and a half hours to see to the morning deliveries, plant health, and general upkeep of the store before the mall shuts down for the night. Aii kicks Rei out at quarter to six and tells him to go on his date before he tears a hole in the hem of his shirt out of nerves. “Go get ready for your date in the bathrooms out back of Malt and Brew and Kisumi’s makeover senses will start tingling, so he’ll come in and do your hair.”

“It’s not a date!” is all Rei can muster as Aii pushes him out the door and sends him in the direction of the coffee shop. Kisumi does indeed fix Rei’s hair for him, and even materialises a shirt from somewhere that doesn’t have dirt stains and green-tinted water splashes on it. “I can’t wear this,” Rei squeaks when he catches sight of his reflection in the mirror, the dark blue shirt clinging to his chest and stopping short an inch or so above the waistband of his dress slacks. “Kisumi!”

Kisumi has already run back into the kitchen, Rei’s other shirt still tucked under his arm. Rei swears he can hear evil giggling following the barista out of the bathroom.

And so Rei goes to the restaurant in the shirt, arms crossed self-consciously over his stomach until he catches sight of Nagisa and he completely forgets as he waves to his friend. It’s still a hesitant, tentative title, something still not quite sitting right between them, but Rei is grateful for it.

“You made it!” Nagisa calls happily, and he makes to throw his arms around Rei before stopping, face dropping slightly. He pulls back, and dips his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans instead. The motion drags the waistband down, and Rei gulps, because Nagisa has two vibrant, cartoon-style monarch butterflies tattooed over the handles of his hipbones. “I didn’t think you were going to come.” He stays a respectable distance away, just like he has for the past six months since he came back from America to open Black Pearl Ink, so unlike how he used to act in high school, jumping on Rei whenever he felt like it.

Rei contemplates Nagisa’s behaviour – and his own. Nagisa has been so willing to comply with every new rule Rei threw at him, carefully navigated every new obstacle Rei set out for him, waiting patiently for Rei to mentally work through all of his feelings on the subject. They have talked about their misunderstanding, started building their way back to friendship. “Of course I came,” Rei says, and he smiles. “You gave me yellow roses every day for six months, and used an iris to ask me to dinner.”

He closes the gap and drags Nagisa into a hug, pressing his nose into the bright blue swallow inked on the side of Nagisa’s neck.

“Oh, hi,” Nagisa mumbles, flailing for a moment before wrapping his arms around Rei’s waist. “I missed you,” he whispers, and if his eyes are starting to burn, no one needs to know.

Rei hides his smile in the collar of Nagisa’s jacket. “I missed you too.”

They have dinner, and it isn’t awkward, not even when Nagisa hooks his foot around Rei’s ankle while they’re eating dessert. Then, Nagisa asks if Rei wants to come and _finally_ see his apartment, which Rei actually agrees to, and the backs of their hands brush as they walk to Nagisa’s apartment building, pinkie fingers eventually sliding together. Nagisa bows low when he ushers Rei inside, and Rei can’t stop giggling at how ridiculous Nagisa is. They have a glass of wine, and Nagisa grabs Rei’s hand, dragging him out onto the balcony.

Rei’s eyes mist over a little when his sight lands on the rose bush, soft yellow blooms peeking out of the dark leaves into the shining moonlight. “They’re beautiful,” he says, walking over to inspect the flowers. “These are nicer than the ones we get in the shop.” He grins over his shoulder, and jokingly asks, “Do you want to open a contract?” which makes Nagisa laugh.

“I kind of assumed you’ve been selling the ones I have been leaving on the door,” Nagisa admits sheepishly, twisting his toe against the tile under his feet.

“No,” Rei is quick to reassure him. “I’ve been preserving them and keeping them in my apartment.”

Nagisa’s eyes light up, a smile gracing his features. “Really?” And when Rei nods, Nagisa darts forward to kiss Rei’s cheek, which causes both of them to flush a little. “I’m glad.” And then he reaches up, and pulls the iris from behind Rei’s ear, pressing his lips to the petals before looking up at Rei. “I know it’s probably way too soon, and we’ve only just become real friends again, but…” He tucks the flower into the buttonhole of the shirt Rei is wearing, smoothing his fingers over the soft, tight material. “Will you go out with me? There’s a new ice cream bar opening on the ground floor next week, and I thought we could go and try some of the flavours together.”

He looks so scared, nerves rolling off him, and the last shard of ice in Rei’s heart melts. Cupping Nagisa’s face in both hands, Rei leans in and grants him a slow, gentle kiss. “Of course,” he says. “Of course I’ll go out with you!” Rei kisses Nagisa again, feels the cool metal Nagisa’s piercing against his lip, and he smiles into it.

“Only five years too late,” Nagisa says, sounding a little dazed, and Rei snorts, looping his arms around Nagisa’s neck as Nagisa settles tentative hands on Rei’s waist.

“Don’t ruin it,” Rei tells him, leaning their foreheads together. “I’m glad you came back.”

Nagisa’s eyes crinkle as he smiles. “So am I.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments and kudos!


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